Franchione isn't ready to hang it up

"I think I would like to coach again, given the right situation," said Franchione, in Topeka on Wednesday to speak at the Kansas State High School Activities Association Coaching School. "That would probably be the key thing, to be with the right people — at whatever level it is, to just be with good people.

"I'm not in a situation where I have to do this or I have to do that, so I can pick one that has Coach Fran's name on it, maybe, that I guess you could say would be fitting for me."

Franchione, a Girard native, has enjoyed success at every school he has coached, including Texas Christian and Alabama, but his most recent stop, at Texas A&M, ended this past fall when Franchione stepped down under pressure.

That has stoked Franchione's desire to add another chapter to his coaching career.

"That's never the way you want things to end," Franchione said. "I don't know if when you get to Division I and when you get to a certain level if you get to pick those endings very much any more.

"But that's obviously not the way I want to go out."

While he weighs his future coaching options, Franchione will serve as a color commentator for ESPN Radio this fall.

"I'm not smart enough to know what I don't know about it yet," Franchione said. "But I've got a great schedule and I'm looking forward to watching the games, and I'm just grateful to be able to stay close to college football again this year."

For the first time in some 40 years, Franchione isn't getting ready to start football practice, but he said he is not feeling any serious withdrawal pains ... at this point anyway.

"I read a lot about all the coaches and what they're going through and I'm staying in touch with it," he said. "I'm kind of pouring myself into the radio thing, trying to get prepared to do a good job of talking about the teams and things, so that's kind of kept me busy.

"I miss the players and the coaches. That's probably the part I miss the most, and the part you should enjoy the most."

One thing Franchione probably won't miss is two-a-days, which already are starting for teams across the country.

"It's hot and it's a trying time," he said, "but it's an important time in the development of the team. The games kind of take care of themselves."

Franchione, who was an assistant coach at Kansas State and head coach at Southwestern and Pittsburg State, said he welcomed the opportunity to come back to his home state.

"This is neat," he said. "I see a lot of people I've known for a long time and it's where I grew up. This has been a lot of fun for me."